Readiness to Receive by Wendy Sauers  

5.15.2006

The lesson for the day one day during Lent this year was about our readiness to receive. “Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees before we are ready to receive,” so it said in our Lenten discipline book The Cup of our Life by Joyce Rupp. It also said, “When we cannot stand on our own strength, when we do not have the inner resources we normally have, we are being readied to receive. When we are empty and poor inside we realize we have to rely on someone else giving us what we need.” These words are so very true. And sometimes sad I think, because it is to bad that we must be brought to our knees before we learn to accept God’s gifts. Gifts such as His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy. My prayer today is that we learn how to accept these gifts from God on our good days as well as when we are brought to our knees.

On the very day of this devotional lesson I had my son (who is mentally handicapped) to the doctor for a sinus infection. The young man who saw him, a physicians assistant, ask me a question I was not expecting to be asked. It turned into a very contemplative conversation for me. He asked “What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from having a handicapped son?” My first and immediate response was patience. I’ve definitely learned patience. He asked, “Do you think you needed a lesson on patience?” I replied, “No.” Then my answer went to counting my everyday blessings. I definitely learned to see the blessings given to us each day, big or small. Blessings a lot of us take for granted. Then I went on to say I’ve been taught very painfully not to be selfish. This I felt was a lesson I needed to learn. He responded with a comment about a higher power definitely being at work and he even talked about Job. As we drove home that day I pondered the question over and over with one recurring theme running through my mind until I finally put words to it. The most important lesson I’ve learned from my son is that God’s grace is sufficient to get me through each day. It is also sufficient to get me through any and all of the trials this life has in store for me. And yes God has pulled me up from my knees and my emptiness time and time again. And only by receiving the gift of His love and forgiveness am I able to get through the hard times. I would like to think I would have learned this without having a handicapped son but I truly don’t know if I would have. I am very grateful for these lessons and because of them I can receive God’s gifts more graciously and more purposefully on good days and bad.

Scripture

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it….

I would feed you with the finest of wheat

And with honey from the rock

I would satisfy you (Psalm 81:10,16)

Poem

I found this poem on the back of a card recently and thought it appropriate here:

You are the peace that guards my heart

My help in time of need

You are the hope that leads me on

And brings me to me knees

For there I find You waiting

And there I find release

So with all my heart

Prayer

Most Holy and Precious Lord, when I am empty, I am most ready to receive You. I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit today and always. Help me to “unclutter” my life and be ready to receive You whether I am empty and on my knees and even Lord when I am not. Even when I am already full of Your goodness and love Lord, help me to receive all that you have for me. Amen

I found this poem on the back of a card recently and thought it appropriate here:

You are the peace that guards my heart

My help in time of need

You are the hope that leads me on

And brings me to me knees

For there I find You waiting

And there I find release

So with all my heart

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